The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-06-07

Singing,
Ye children of our God,
| Ye Saints of latter days.
ELDER GEORGE G.. BYWATER desired
that the payer of Bishop McRae might
be answered, and realized that the con
gregation should be SO conditioned a:
to be worthy of the blessings Of heaven
He had come up to the house of the
Lord to worship the God of Abraham
Isaac and Jacob, and had no doubt
those before him had done likewise, land
hoped that all would experience the
Spirit of God while congregated. II
they did this their coming together
would not be in vain. On the contrary
without that Spirit there would be little
or no benefit derived from their gather
| ing together. I5 behooyed every elder
to so live and deport himself as to be
ready at any and all times to respond to
the calls of the priesthood; to be, as it
were, minute man." and be ever
ready to bear his testimony to the truth
! of the gospel; to fit himself to instruct
and teach the principles of life and saliva
| ton.
He wished to direct attention to the
| Sacrament, and what occasioned this
Divine institution. When Jesus was in
| the flesh and moved among the inhabi-
tants of the earth, He revealed the
principles of God; He revealed the plan
| of the redemption of the human race,
who had fallen through the transgres-
sions of our first parents. We are in
formed that their disobedience of Gods
commands resulted in introducing every
variety OF evil, and that death was the
penalty Of that disobedience. 1t was
also followed by a train of conSe-
quences, that places the world in an in
extrlcable and mysterious congiomera-
ton of conditions that often puzzles the
human intellect to fathom. We learn
through the revelations of God, that He
had prepared sacrifice from before the
foundation of the wo Id, in connection
with which there were to be brought
forth and established that which would
redeem mankind from the effects of the
transgressions of Adam and Eve Among
them was the atonement for sin by the
shedding of blood This was a doctrine
plainly taught in the volume of Sacred
History. This sacrifice was no less than
IAC OOn VI OOO ulmS61ls IL MAS &c
copied by all who had an intelligent
conception of the Dietv, that it required
infinite wisdom and almighty power to
perfect this glorious plan ofredemption.
Elder Bywater had met few who denied
the principle of the atonement, but they
could not comprehend or explain its
details. They would submit that what
God done He did well. So was it
with the creation and so also was it with
the atonement. Mankind in all genera
ton acknowledged PRINCIPLES and incor.
porated them in their faith, but were
not willing to practice them in their
daily lives. The doctrine of the atone-
ment, as recorded in history, must be
acknowledged as necessary to the saliva
ton OF the human family. j Jesus declared
that unless His followers ate of His flesh
aud drank of His blood they should
have no life. The object of the Sacra-
ment was to memorable the cruciixion.
The sacrifice was the event which the
Saints commemorated every SABBATH. If
any partake of the bread and water un-
worthily, they would eat and drink
condemnation to their souls. 1t be-
hooved all when they came together to
partake OF these elements, that they see
that their hearts are in proper tune.
It was an offering of love, planned and
instituted by the Father of love. None |
should partake who had malice or |
hatred in his heart, as it was an en-
blem of love and forgiveness. 1t was of |
vital Importance that the Saints should |
understand this. He apprehended that |
the shortcomings of the Latter-day !
Saints were largely due to allowing |
their affections to be corroded by grasp. |
ing after money, place and power that |
they had not been sufficiently inspired, |
when they met. by the spirit of the
meek and lOwly Jesus. He said. as a
warning to all, that unless their hearts
are free from covetousneSs, tie spirit of
greed and avarice, the love of riches
1.-The root of all evil" the attaching of
too much vanity to the acquisition of
wealth, their hearts would be turned
from God, their thoughts absorbed in
the things OF the world, they would not
be impregnated with the. Spirit of God: /
there would be an poverishment of
good feeling and blessings and rewards.
As the Indolent pupil neglected his
studies so he lacked in proficiency at
the end of his school days, and so, also,
would the neglectful Saint prove in re-
gard to growth aud progress. They
must be dlllgent, he continued, if they
GOOAO VI Di6SSSu GOD. |
He did not ignore the acquisition OF
property and wealth; it was necessary
10 De possessed to certain extent. in
order that their uses may be known; but
be eplored and decried idolatry in the
matter of their accumulation. The
desire for wealth often creates question
able means OF obtaining it He impressed
upon his hearers to love God and their
1eighbors as themselves. He could
,ould not ask God to give him certain
gifts if he neglected his duties. The
Saints were counseled not to make idols
of money and property, to the extent of
God, to whom everything
belonged. 1t is forbidden by the Az
mighty and the Saints would b. held
accountable if they did so. He i'm
pressed once more, the force of par
aking of the Sacrament with pure
hearts and clean thoughts; that through
obedience to the laws and commands of
Tod they might grow in grace.
ELDER HAMILTON 6. PACK spoke for q ,
ev moments, but before doing SO
lesired the Spirit of God to dictate hin.
lie had listened with pleasure tn Elder